Generated Report for Diplomatic Bureau of the Terran Confederacy

Subject: Xaltean Culture – General Overview

By: Jane Openheim, Attache to The United Planetary Council

Before I begin this report, I should be clear that this is only a general overview of a very in-depth and fully mature culture and should not be seen as a definitive work. In the last three months on Hope Station, the agreed meeting grounds along the Xaltean Kingdom’s border, I have had the opportunity to speak with Lady Ashana of the House Kevena on many similarities and differences between our people.

Social Norms

There are many glaring differences between Earth and the Xalteans. One of the key differences is their approach to social hierarchy, free body cultures, and a rigid rights and privilege system.

As a Kingdom, the Xalteans are broken into many social stratas with their own duties and privileges that others of the lower caste do not have. They also have an enlightened version of slavery in which members of their society are indentured to the houses for limited to long tenures. Unlikes human history though, they have evolved out of much of the brutality we have seen and those who are indentured have their own rights and laws to protect them.

I was able to converse with a half bond indentured for an hour or two and he expressed to me that it would be better if he could have his rights restored, he did not feel threatened nor defeated in his current position. He explained that the reason of being bonded is usually a private matter but as I was compiling a research paper to better understand our differences, he would tell me. It seems that this indenture had lost his temper in a tavern on one of the worlds in the Kingdom and had severely injured the victim. When taken before the tribunal, he agreed to relinquish rights as a half bond and serve a period of time after undergoing anger management. A very enlightened response compared to some of the more draconic rules implemented in the last decade by the Terran government [FILE NOTE: Opinion insert of the writer. Not sanctioned].

On the other hand, certain crimes or things that they did not go into, the Xalteans can be cold and ruthless in metting out punishment. Treason and crimes against the royal family are punished not only by death but by methods that my interviewee would only explain that he would rather be castrated than go through.

Approach to Sexuality

Though normally not covered in a diplomatic report but by an anthropologist, sexuality of the Xaltean is something that any diplomat who will be dealing with them at length should be fully aware of.

From as far as I have been informed, the Xaltean male and female have intercourse like the human species for reproduction but have a 12 month gestation cycle instead of the 9 that humans do. Also, Xaltean females are only fertile within a 2-month window every standard year.

This has made sex a recreational activity among the Xaltean that is not regulated to the bedroom and privacy like humans. They do not copulate in the streets as my esteemed counterpart would claim but such activities could be part of a dinner party which one of our representatives could be invited to. It is highly recommended that care be taken to not insult or show disdain as they could see this as an offense.

Lady Ashana tells me that the best way to stay out of it is to complement and play off the fact that humans are stupid.

Ending

There is a lot on these people that I have not covered and hopefully we can continue the discord with them to learn what we can.